IV16 SPEAKER: Tom Carter

Vancouver artist Tom Carter paints and studies a Vancouver that is both long gone and eternally under the surface. He paints rain soaked urban landscapes in acrylic that evoke the smell of coal smoke on the salt air of False Creek, the rattle of streetcars against the rumble of the sawmills. Even though this particular city is gone, its spirit is unchanged and recognizable. In the realm of BC Entertainment preservation, Tom has worked ceaselessly to preserve Vancouver theatre and nightclub history in a very “hands-on” and practical way – buying, preserving and warehousing much of the original Pantages theatre (1908), as well as significant artifacts and ephemera of many other venues. As well, Tom has recorded interviews with pioneers from all these venues and acquired their papers and personal archives where possible. He has contributed a chapter as well as the cover painting for the recently released Vancouver Confidential, a collection that has topped the bestsellers list.